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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23490052">Crystalline</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Euriditia/pseuds/Euriditia'>Euriditia</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Apex Legends (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AMAB Bloodhound (Apex Legends), Abused Elliott, Addiction, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Bloodhound Does Not Hurt Elliott, Bloodhound is Awkward, Depression, Drama, Drug Use, Eventual Romance, Fluff, My O/C Hurt Elliott, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Nonbinary Character, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Self-Harm, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 09:15:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,036</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23490052</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Euriditia/pseuds/Euriditia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"I am fixated<br/>On all of the things<br/>We were together...<br/>But those are fragments<br/>That are better off<br/>Lost forever"<br/>- Crystalline by CirCrush</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bloodhound/Mirage | Elliott Witt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello fellow Apex fans. This is my first Apex fic that I am posting, if you enjoy this one maybe I will continue to post for this fandom. This story was inspired by the song "Crystalline" by CirCrush - Cover by Lollia all rights and lyrics are to CirCrush. </p><p>I want to let everyone know that some depictions of drug use may not be entirely correct, I have never used hard drugs before so I had to do a lot of research and then put myself in those types of situations to imagine how it must be. Unfortunately I also witness drug abuse first hand with my job, so I do see how it effects people. </p><p>I hope you all enjoy this first chapter.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Prologue</p><p>A rising star has been struck with tragedy while a uncertain individual is determined to save them. </p><p>Please continue to see how their story unfolds.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter One: Crystalline</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Elliott Witt “Hollywood’s Hottest Actor” had fallen from grace into a dark spiral with addiction. Fame, fortune, and lust couldn’t fill the irreparable void in his soul from a lot of significant things. Most of it came from losing his father and brothers in the war and what had happened with Anthony ten years ago. And now his mother, who was being slowly taken from him with her mind failing. Learning the news of Evelyn’s disease was what severed the bonds on his self control. </p><p>First it was the constant partying with alcohol, then he moved onto marijuana but the satisfaction with that didn’t last long and then he tried Xanax. It wasn’t enough to quell the burning sadness and ire that swirled in his chest. Elliott later decided to try the stimulants; cocaine and ecstasy had made a profound difference in the party life, he went on to have some of the most amazing sex of his life during these episodes. The euphoria drove the young star to party harder and get into more trouble quite often with the law. </p><p>It wasn’t long until Elliott felt that dissatisfaction again, the high never lasted as long as he needed it to. He contacted his plug Octavio Silva and asked for something stronger that would last longer, crystal meth was then introduced to Elliott Witt. </p><p>“This is very powerful stuff amigo, be careful! I’m starting to get worried about you.” Octavio said when he came to deliver the first batch of meth to Elliott’s party penthouse. Silva always hovered near the entrance and never stayed long unless there was a party. Elliott curled his lip in disgust, </p><p>“If you were truly worried why are you selling to me in the first place?” He spat as he swiped the baggie from Octavio’s hands and then stuffed the cash in its place. Silva was surprised by the actor’s actions. Crumpling the bills in his fist as Octavio gritted his teeth, </p><p>“Because I thought we were just doing this for the fun and the parties! Amigo, I don’t think you should continue doing this. This is no way to cope.” He growled, even though Elliott couldn’t see the pharmaceutical heir’s face due to his face mask and goggles he knew that the adrenaline junkie was furious. It was extremely rare to make Octavio angry, he was too focused on having a dopamine rush to exert energy on other emotions. Elliott scoffed and waved off his friend while staring down at the baggie in his hands, shifting through the crystalline shards, emptying some of them into the glass pipe that Silva brought him during his last visit. At this Octavio stuffed the now rumpled money into his breast pocket whilst turning on his heel and left the penthouse without another word. Rolling his eyes, Elliott grabbed the lighter that was stuffed in the pocket of the dirty sweat pants he was wearing. </p><p>‘You’ve let yourself fucking go, just look at yourself.’ The voice was so clear, it could have been said out loud. Elliott referred to these negative voices as his ‘clones’ ; they were his constant companions in the fucked up hell he was living. As the lone thought echoed in his head the celebrity lifted the glass pipe to chapped lips with one hand while bringing the hand with the lighter to hover over the bowl before another voice, much softer than the first one interrupted.</p><p>‘It’s not too late to get help.’ It crept from an honest crevice in his sordid mind. At this Elliott hesitated; deep in the very fiber of his being he knew that he shouldn’t be taking this path in life. That he could stop what he was doing right now, walk out that door, and start over. </p><p>‘What is it that you truly want?’ </p><p>That question always came up when Elliott was going to do something he was going to regret. Always chasing after things that were unattainable. Ever since he was a kid Elliott had a craving for attention, being the youngest of four children; it made sense that he would be the one to act out in bizarre fashion for whatever ounce of attention he could get. In school Elliott was the class clown but he was also an incredible performer when it came to acting. </p><p>Unlike his athletic brothers Elliott was talented in the arts; acting, singing, dancing, etc. The drive for attention also drove the young boy to excel.</p><p>What Elliott craved other than attention was affection and being bisexual made this remarkably easy for the novice star to have fling after fling with whoever he wanted at the time. Unfortunately the short lived relationships that he had with men and women alike were just physical. There was no love in the lust fueled nights that were spent only to wake up to an empty bed. When Elliott attempted to pursue an actual relationship with someone it was always rejected with excuses or heated arguments. </p><p>Even though these encounters were toxic as hell, Elliott didn’t know any better thinking that these were how romantic relationships worked. The familial love that Elliott received was appreciated but there was just a different bond that he longed for, he even went as far as creating a dating profile for a popular website which was very risky for a celebrity. Not to mention that he absolutely fucked up his profile for the site as well, he didn’t realize that he had on voice to text enabled so he was just rambling to himself while trying to fill out his profile. Elliott hadn’t bothered to double check it either before he made it public and within hours the media were writing all sorts of articles about the “Technologically Challenged Star”; least to say he deleted the profile when he was informed by a friend what had happened.</p><p>Unfortunately for Elliott, anyone who flocked to him were only interested in his looks, fame, and fortune. They had no intentions for a romantic relationship at all. After being burned a few times the actor just gave up on finding ‘the one’ and accepted that he would forever be Hollywood’s Playboy and just skip around from person to person for the rest of his life. Except that’s not what he wanted but the fire was already dying and Elliott resigned to partying, drugs, and so many hookups he lost count after the first twenty. However everything had changed when he met Anthony. </p><p>Anthony was the first person that elicited more than a primal response from Elliott. He was the newly crowned actor’s co-star on the smash hit television show “Mirage” the first lead role Elliott had ever scored in his blossoming career; and being twenty years old he was still starstruck by the new world of Hollywood. He had met Anthony by accidentally bumping into the stiff young man while on set; spilling his coffee all down the other’s shirt. </p><p>“Look where you’re fucking goin!” the tall silver haired actor shouted as Elliott blanched,</p><p>“O-Oh my God. I-I-I’m so s-sorry!” He apologized quickly, looking up into the piercing blue eyes of the stranger while the hot liquid continued to soak into his crisp white shirt. Just as the mystery man was going to say something a producer rushed over to the both of them.<br/>
“Oh! I see you two have already met, excellent! Elliott this is your co-star Anthony Perino. Spend some time together. I'd rather the two of you be friends through the duration of this show.” The producer exclaimed while clapping both of the young men on the back before the producer scurried off barking more orders at the set designers. </p><p>It was there that their rocky relationship began. Elliott and Anthony had a very interesting love hate friendship. It wasn't until they finished filming the second season of Mirage when their relationship moved into something more physical. Meeting at the bar “Solace” Anthony bought Elliott some drinks to congratulate him on the success of the show. It was exciting news that they were contracted for a third season, something that had the youngest Witt in tears of joy. The both of them continued to get exceedingly intoxicated and one thing led to another before Elliott was pushing Anthony into his bed. </p><p>The sex was some of the best that Elliott had expierenced in his young life, he never felt so fulfilled before. He felt wanted and needed; he felt like he finally had a purpose in someone else’s life. But this fantasy was short lived Elliot discovered that Anthony had extreme anger and jealousy issues. He became increasingly controlling of Elliott, always had to know where the aspiring star was at all times. </p><p>“Tell me where you are at all times. Send me pictures of the locations that you say you are at and always be in the photos.” Anthony had instructed and explained that it was for Elliott’s own safety, because being new to the Hollywood scene could pose a threat to the naive youngster. Elliott bought it, and before long he was involved in a dangerous and abusive relationship; he didn’t truly know how bad it had gotten until Anthony hit him for the first time. Elliott nearly left right then but was swayed by the pathetic show of regret that Anthony put on for him, begging him for forgiveness on his knees and Elliott was so blinded by his love that he allowed himself to stay. </p><p>Moving forward Anthony’s abuse only got worse over their five year relationship; restricting and controlling Elliott’s diet and wardrobe because he “Always had to watch his figure if he was going to continue to be a successful actor” and checked his texts every night to be sure that there were no secret affairs. Drugs were heavily used between the two of them and while intoxicated Anthony would force himself onto and into Elliott. With tears in his eyes Elliott told himself that it was consensual during the invasive vile act, even though he felt used and disgusting after every single time. The lies that he told himself about his lover, he no longer found himself believing them. Their last altercation was ugly and would forever change the way Elliott would view the world. </p><p>He had told Anthony that he was leaving, that he wouldn’t take the abuse any longer and he would ask the producers to put Mirage on a hiatus or to cancel the show altogether. This statement made Anthony fly into a violent rage. He savagely beat Elliott into a nearly unconscious state before he dragged the battered Elliott to the bedroom where he brutally raped him. </p><p>“No matter where you go or what you do, you will always be mine.” He snarled as he climaxed inside, tender skin rubbed raw and bloody as Anthony pulled out of Elliott’s destroyed ass. He then continued to dishonor the shattered person beneath him before getting up and pulling on pants, without sparing Elliott another glance as he left the apartment and locked the door behind him.</p><p>Elliot was numb as he stared at the ceiling as silent tears pooled and ran down his face. His neighbors called the cops because they heard distressed arguing which eventually escalated into enraged yelling and fearful screaming. He was taken to the hospital where he was treated for his wounds and then gave his statement to the police. But the worst pain that he felt wasn’t that he was brutally assaulted or that the story was spreading like wildfire in the press. It was the look on his mother’s face when Evelyn Witt entered his hospital room. </p><p>“Oh Eli… How could I have not seen the signs?” Her warm chocolate eyes were shining with unshed tears. Elliott could feel his heart being ripped out of his chest, thrown onto the ground, and trampled upon. Just when things couldn’t get any worse, here was his mother; blaming herself for letting this happen to the only family that she had left. When Evelyn collapsed into his arms on the bed, he wept with her and vowed to himself that he would never love again; these five years of so-called ‘love’ were pure hell and he would stay forever free of those bonds no matter what.</p><p>The dwindling fire that loved life was snuffed out by the depression, loneliness, and trauma. Elliott felt nothing when he was brought the news that Anthony Perino had been arrested for sexual assault and battery, he simply accepted it and promised to testify at Anthony’s court hearing. After the bastard was put in prison for a sentence of only ten fucking years with the possiblity of parole in twelve months, Elliott turned to substances that provided him any sort of comfort. </p><p>‘Am I really this broken?’ The thought of his defeat was unbearable and it snapped him out of his solemn reverie. The promise of relief from this reality was so close. The cloudy shards beckoned to him, enticing him to go ahead and let them take him to a different world. Aware of the descent into certain madness, he shrugged he hadn’t hit rock bottom yet. What more could this possibly do to his already fractured soul? </p><p>“If I don’t like it, I can just stop.” Elliott muttered under his breath as he brought the pipe back to his lips and flicked the lighter to life with his thumb. Bringing the dancing flame to the bowl he watched as the crystal shards slowly melted into liquid and smoke. As he inhaled the toxic vapors Elliot knew that he was lying and was willingly giving himself comfort to quell the guilt and shame that he felt. His lungs burned as he held the chemicals in for a moment, only to exhale a moment later. </p><p>Elliot spent the next few minutes leaning against the wall, clutching the pipe in his dominant hand studying the remains of the wonder drug that’s waste had pooled in the bottom of the bowl. His train of thought had halted so suddenly it scared him for a moment, but that melted away in an instant as a euphoria washed over him in such violent waves that Elliott slumped against the wall and sucked in his breath through his teeth so hard it whistled. </p><p>The swirling vortex of self-loathing and insecurity faded away. His pulse quickened along with his breathing; Elliott felt a strong surge of confidence and delight flow through his veins. He felt great, amazing, on top of the world! This is how he felt when he portrayed himself playing the role of a movie star, the “Mirage” that he wished he could be. This is how he would have imagined Mirage to feel at all times and it was addicting. To have something that could make him feel like the person he craved to be was too good to be true. But Elliott was allowing himself to indulge in what he had always longed for, but little did he know that his fate was sealed. </p><p>After the first high, he started using more and more often. And as his spirit soared with the delirium so did his popularity in the polls due to him becoming more personable everyday. Money, fame, parties, men and women increased ten fold. Elliott Witt was on top of the Goddamn world and Octavio Silva was making some of the best business he ever had because of his friend’s voracious appetite for the drug. </p><p>However when Elliott’s physical and mental appearance deteriorated to the point that it was very noticeable. The healthy glow that he possessed had faded to a pale and gaunt appearance. At this week’s deal, when cash and crystal exchanged hands Octavio noticed that Elliott looked even worse than last week. His hands and forearms were covered in what looked like various scrapes and scabs from desperate fingernails to satisfy an internal itch. Sharp cheekbones protruded from Elliott’s face accompanied by greying skin and hollowed eyes which were devoid of any light; swimming in casual clothing; he had lost so much weight in such a short amount of time it was concerning. </p><p>“Amigo, I think we need to talk.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Please comment and don't be afraid to give me pointers or criticism ( as long as it's respectful, if you don't have anything nice to say don't say it! ) I would love to improve my writing. I don't know what the schedule for this fic will be yet unfortunately, but I will try my best to not time go on without updates and I am guilty of doing it... </p><p>If you want to keep up with what I'm doing for progress or for fun you can follow my twitter @euriditia and don't be afraid if you want to talk with me! I love chatting with people. </p><p>Thanks for the read! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter Two: Cycle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This chapter delves into Elliott’s attempts with going cold turkey, withdrawal, and then succumbing to using again. The vicious cycle that’s seemingly never ending.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>‘That fucking bastard’ Elliott seethed as he processed the words the Silva had just left him with, spouting all this bullshit about how he should try to get clean, that he’s looking quite bad and people are going to start talking. Like, how does he look that ‘bad’ when he feels so good? He could stop whenever he wanted and he was going to prove Silva wrong. Elliott planned on going cold turkey, keeping the supply he bought off of Octavio to be used in small amounts if going completely cold turkey would prove difficult. </p><p>The first night was okay, Elliott just felt pretty down and out due to the come down of his previous high. Maybe the depression was a little more intense than the norm, but that was nothing he couldn’t handle he’s been depressed his whole fucking life in some way or another. Elliott dragged a hand through his lackluster curls while he laid curled up in bed, trying to ward off the oncoming headache from being dehydrated and hungover. He grabbed the glass of water that he brought to bed with him and took a generous gulp. Immediately he recoiled and nearly spit it out onto his comforter, it tasted like fucking ash. After Elliot made himself swallow the disgusting liquid, he wiped the dribble on the back of his hand before slumping deeper into his pillows. He closed his eyes to try and rest but was met with resistance, </p><p>‘You aren’t going to make this work you know.’ The voice crept to the forefront of his mind. Elliott wrinkled his nose, </p><p>“Yeah and what the fuck do you know?” he muttered to himself as he absently scratched at his left forearm that was littered in scabs due to previous fits of madness, he settled himself back into a more comfortable position in bed as Elliott attempted to sleep. </p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p>The next few days the symptoms of abstinence from the stimulant became very apparent to Elliott. He slept all day and most of the night, he only got up to use the restroom and get something to eat or drink. He could not muster any amount of energy to do anything productive or hygienic. It’s been five days since he showered or brushed his teeth; Elliott was very aware of how mossy his teeth due to the lack of oral care, lucky for him he only lost one tooth since using meth. His skin and hair were matted and oily and there was no doubt he also stunk of B. O. </p><p>The lack of motivation just made him delve deeper into his depression. Some days it was like he was stuck under boulders, the pain of self loathing was so heavy; crushing him into nothing but a mutilated mess. But this time he felt like he was swimming through heavy water, drowning in sorrow as he desperately tried to surface for air. Elliott wanted it all to stop, wanted this water to disappear. He craved for a taste of any substance, anything to nullify the thoughts, the paranoia, the bodily reactions. Anything. </p><p>By the sixth night Elliott was on his knees in the bathroom as he attempted to vomit, but nothing would come. His stomach only had the bare minimum of water or food and it wasn’t going to let it’s owner expel it. Tears streamed down his unshaven face as he prayed for whatever God is out there to just fucking end his miserable existence. The voices in his head were so loud he thought that they were manifesting right before his very eyes when they spoke. </p><p>“Just look at you.” a voice said from behind Elliott, as he turned he saw himself. But this Elliott was healthy, handsome, and glowing. The only not handsome feature on this clone’s face was the look of absolute disgust on its face. </p><p>“This is what you have fucking turned into? You really let yourself go Witt.” it bit harshly as Elliott just stared at the perfect mirage, his arid mouth couldn’t form words. But that didn’t stop the perfect Elliott in front of him from leaning closer to inspect his pathetic appearance. </p><p>“You could have it all Witt, you just need a little something to help you back onto your feet.” it coaxed while motioning towards the safe that Elliott had locked his stash. The overwhelming temptation made the junkie salivate at the thought, he inched closer to the safe but then shook himself from the deplorable act he was about to commit. When he looked up to see the perfect image of himself, it was gone. It was such a cruel joke, his own psyche attempting to get him to tweak. A dry chuckle slowly bubbled out of him, laughing at the depraved irony. Soon he was cackling uncontrollably, but after a few minutes those giggles soon dissolved into tears. </p><p>“Goddamn it am I so weak?” He whispered to himself while tears silently fell down his face as he crawled on all fours to the safe sitting in the corner in the bathroom wall. Before he knew it Elliott was holding his glass pipe, heating up the crystal. Tears of mirth ran down his gaunt face as he inhaled the fumes, the promised release from his current hell. Regret surged through his veins, he spent nearly a week sweating it out only to crack and take a hit. </p><p>“I am so fucked.” He whispered after exhaling the large cloud of vapor. Since the beginning of his abstinence Elliott hadn’t used any crystal, not even when the itching was enough to make him seek it out. Since going cold turkey this time it hit him like a fucking train, not as powerful as the first time he used but it was a close fucking second. Elliott suddenly became acutely aware of his surroundings and how messy everything was, including himself. </p><p>Elliott got to his feet, discharged the soiled clothing, and hopped into the shower. He had to clean himself, the oils felt heavy and dirty on his body; it made his skin crawl. After the luxurious shower Elliott dried himself off before getting into some cleaner clothes. He didn’t even bother looking in the mirror because he knew that he was looking more like a corpse than a living breathing human. His vision kept getting fuzzy on the outer edges, fading in and out of focus. </p><p>“Come on Elliott, get a grip.” He muttered as he shook the excess droplets of water from his hair, the flit of a shadow caught his attention. Blood running cold, he clutched the towel that was wrapped around his waist, </p><p>‘Oh fuck, is someone there?’ He thought as anxiety started to increase his heart rate. He crept slowly to the bathroom door and peered around the corner, </p><p>“H-Hello?” Elliott called, his teeth started to chatter from the cold air that was now starting to leak into the bathroom. When there was no answer, he took a deep breath and willed himself to calm down. ‘It was just a shadow, yeah that’s all it was.’ He thought as he took a hesitant step into his bedroom. He quickly pulled on some sweatpants and a t-shirt before he walked out to the kitchen because damn, he was hungry. After he opened the refrigerator Elliott frowned at the bare shelves, after making a mental note to go grocery shopping he settled on the carton of orange juice. As he turned towards the kitchen counter Elliott let out a shriek, standing in the doorway of his bedroom was none other than Anthony. Frozen in horror his head swam with thoughts. </p><p>‘How did he get here, I thought he was ordered to never be around me ever again! Did he get out on bail recently? Holy shit I’ve been so fucked up I haven’t even paid attention.’ Fear numbed Elliott’s body, he felt his knees buckle under his weight before they gave out under him and he fell straight onto his ass, wide eyes never left Anthony’s face. </p><p>“Did you miss me my dear?” His ex-lover’s face smiled, but it wasn’t one of happiness. It was a twisted sadistic smile, one that maybe a serial killer may wear when they savored a kill. </p><p>“Why the fuck are you here?!” The words were out of Elliott’s mouth before he could even process a coherent thought. His heartbeat hammered in his chest as he watched Anthony slowly and nonchalantly make his way over to where Elliott sat on the cold hard kitchen floor. </p><p>“You didn’t hear? I’m out on bail.” The silver haired man wore a wicked grin, Elliott had seen that smile before. Anthony always smiled like that when he was planning something to use one of his sick “surprises”. Elliott’s face twisted in disgust as he backed away, but even trying to put on a brace face he knew that his fear was showing. Anthony stepped towards him and grabbed his forearm, causing Elliott to lash out. </p><p>“Leave me the fuck alone!” He screamed as he leapt to his feet. He had to get out of here or he may actually die. Sure Elliott had felt suicidal recently but he sure as shit didn’t  want to die by the hands of his psychotic ex. He grabbed the closest object that was near and raised it in self-defense, which happened to be a spatula. ‘Really God? Is this how you want to do me right now?’ the brief thought slipped through his mind, but that changed as Anthony just pushed the spatula out of the way,</p><p>“You really think this is going to do something?” Anthony said but before he could make another move Elliott bolted for the door, he heard Anthony in hot pursuit behind him so without sparing a glance he flung open the door before he slammed it shut behind him. Elliott then fucking sprinted down the hallway towards the elevator. Adrenaline roared in his ears, he had to get the hell out of there. </p><p>When he made it to the elevator, he pushed the button to summon it all the while looking frantically over his shoulder to watch for Anthony. The elevator dinged to announce a carriage had arrived and when it opened he smashed into someone who fell hard on their ass. </p><p>“What the hell man?” An angry voice yelled, Elliott paused and looked down. A very pissed off Octavio Silva bounced up to his feet and scowled at Elliott. </p><p>“Dude what the fuck is your problem?!” He snapped as he checked the duffel bag he was carrying. But Elliott couldn’t be happier to see a familiar face.</p><p>“Silva, you gotta help me. I-I don’t know how but f-f-fucking Anthony is in my place!” He gasped as he grabbed Octavio by the shoulders, </p><p>“You’ve g-g-gotta help me.” The sweaty man had an iron grip on the adrenaline junkie. Octavio’s face turned very serious, the most serious Elliott has ever seen the man. </p><p>“Where is he now? Did he follow you?” The question caught a near hysterical Elliott off guard. </p><p>“I-I-I don’t know man! He-He was following me but when I slammed the d-door in his face I d-didn’t look back. I’m fucking scared S-Silva…” His words trailed as Octavio brushed his hands off. </p><p>“Okay compadre, I’ll go scope it out while you wait right here.” Octavio ran his hands through his green tipped hair before he reached into the duffel bag and produced a pistol. Then he rounded a shot into the chamber before unceremoniously dropping the bag into Elliott’s arms. The weight made the weak star stumble before hefting the bag into a more comfortable position. Elliott watched as Octavio rounded the corner towards his penthouse and waited. After what seemed like an eternity and the whole time Elliott’s heart was pounding so hard he thought he’d drop from cardiac arrest. Octavio finally came around the corner, the pistol clipped to his belt, and he looked very pissed off. </p><p>Before Elliott could say a word Octavio grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and brought him down to eye-level. After looking intensely into the actor’s eye he released him. </p><p>“I thought I fucking told you to stop using. You’re tweaking out Elliott. No one was in your apartment, I did a thorough sweep and found no one. The only one who seemed to be in there was you.” He spat before shoving Elliott away. </p><p>“You need help and you better get it soon. I can’t see you destroy yourself like this man, please let me help. I know someone who can help you. You can’t keep doing this.” His tone became softer, because Octavio realized that he was being way too harsh on the poor man especially since he willingly gave him the drugs in the first place. A pang of guilt hit him hard in the chest, this was a rare feeling for the son of Silva Pharmaceuticals. </p><p>“Please, I’ve helped you do this to yourself and I regret it. You need help.” He pleaded a lot more gently as he noticed Elliott began to cry, the broken man crumbled right before his eyes. </p><p>“I-I’m sorry… I just don’t know what the fuck to do anymore.” Elliott whispered as the tears fell down his weary face.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading! I would really appreciate if you'd drop a comment below it helps to motivate me. I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during this pandemic. I hope I can help with your boredom with self-quarantining.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter Three: Admission</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Good morning Mr. Witt, my name is Ajay Che and I will be treatin’ ya while you stay here with us at the Solace Medical Center, P.A.R.C. Unit. Please understand that my treatments will differ from the modern norm of today’s medicine. Of course you will undergo some of what is to be expected with our detox program such as offering support while you detox and mandatory therapy; whether it’s group or one on one is up to you of course. I may also prescribe some medication to help you through the intense bouts of depression and insomnia that are common with detoxing. But that decision is only made if you express that you are having difficulties with those symptoms. However what makes our program unique here at Solace Medical Center is that we encourage our patients to build relationships with their assigned ‘guide’, and a guide is an individual that will be part of your support system. They will accompany you on therapeutic trips such as: camping, hiking, swimming, horseback riding, art or music therapy, meditation, and more. So far do ya have any questions?”</p><p>The young doctor that was sitting in front of Elliott sounded as professional as a doctor can be, but her looks sure didn’t scream ‘I’m a doctor’. If he had seen her in public he would have never guessed that she was one. Ajay was short in stature, with caramel skin and amaranth hair twisted up into twin buns. She wore cargo pants, a black tank top, and a white doctor’s coat. On top of the bizarre appearance she also had a very strange accent, Elliott wondered where she was from. </p><p>“Mr. Witt, do you have any questions?” She repeated as her chocolate eyes bore into him. </p><p>“Uh, no questions. Sorry, please continue.” Elliott said wearily as his gaze dropped back down to his hands which were folded in his lap. This consultation was depressing and he never thought that he would be in this position. At least his mother didn’t know about this, Octavio had promised that no word would get out about Elliott going to rehab for addiction treatment, and he believed the spastic guy. As much as Octavio annoyed Elliott in the past, one of his greatest qualities was his honesty and trust. </p><p>“Alright then this consult is done, I’ll show you the way to your room.” Dr. Che said before she got up and walked over to the door, as she was about to open it Elliott perked up. </p><p>“Actually doctor, I’m sorry I do have a question.” He blurted out as he stood up quickly, his face flushed with embarrassment as he quickly crossed his arms. </p><p>“Sure thing, what is it?” Ajay replied while she turned to face him.</p><p>“Um… Who will be my ‘guide’? Do I get to meet them soon? Or do I get to pick them?” He asked while fidgeting with the drawstring on his hoodie. </p><p>“Ah yes, I will introduce you to your guide when they return from their vacation tomorrow. But as for today I need you to make yourself comfortable and rest, even though that is going to be an extremely hard goal at the moment. But if you’ll follow me I’ll see ya to your room ok?” She smiled at Elliott encouragingly while she opened the door and walked out. Elliott trailed behind her as she led him from the consultation room into the open atrium of the Solace Psychiatric, Addiction, and Recovery Center. </p><p>Ajay led Elliott to a separate building that was meant for more of the upper class, each patient had private suites and treatments without having to interact with the other patients. A lot of celebrities had received treatment here Octavio had said and the people who followed the treatment as instructed a lot of them were successful with recovering from their addictions.<br/>
Ajay stopped in front of Suite Number 1 and Elliott arched an eyebrow, </p><p>“We haven’t had a resident in this area for a while, so you’re the only one here. Feel free to move around and explore. If you also want to go off campus that is fine, but we have to ask ya to sign in and out at the main building. Your guide may also accompany you out as well, if you both have a good relationship.” Dr. Che answered as she unlocked the suite door with a keycard that had ‘Suite 1’ printed on it and as the door swung open, she turned towards him with a small smile before handing the keycard to him,</p><p>“If there is anything ya need, don’t hesitate to send me a message. My contact information is already programmed into the cellphone we have provided for you.” </p><p>Elliott swallowed thickly, when Octavio said he knew someone that could help him, he never thought it would be somewhere like here. Then again Silva seemed to know everyone, but he never would have thought that the little druggie was best friends with a rehab doctor.<br/>
“Thanks Dr. Che, I definitely will reach out if I need anything.” Elliott replied as he stepped into the suite and was surprised by how modern the suite was, much bigger than what he had expected. Ajay laughed, </p><p>“Please, call me Ajay. But I’ll catch ya around I’ve gotta ream Tavi a new one.” She chirped before she swiftly turned on her heel and strode away. Elliott closed the door behind him as he made his way into his temporary home. This was a lot like a cozy apartment, it was all on one floor. The living room was connected to a walk-in kitchen that had pretty fancy looking appliances. Down the hall there were two other rooms, a few feet down and on the right side was the bathroom and at the far end of the hallway was the master bedroom. </p><p>The bathroom was a good size, full walk in shower, heated tiled floors, and a Japanese Super Toilet. Elliott was impressed, those toilets were hard to come by and holy sweet baby Jesus they were AMAZING. He made a mental note to get one of those back at his place once he was discharged. The master bedroom was nothing to scoff at either, it was minimalistic in the aspect of decorations but it was very modern and sleek. Right in the middle of the room was a Lavonne upholstered platform bed accented with grey sheets, a black comforter, and charcoal grey pillow cases. A very gradient color scheme, as was the rest of the room. But as soon as his eyes landed on the plush bed, every other thought was abandoned as he was overcome with the urge to sleep. </p><p>After quickly crossing the room the weary man flopped onto the bed and groaned, he was exhausted. ‘I guess this is what drugs do to you huh?’ he thought sarcastically as he kicked off his shoes and curled up on the sheets, and before long Elliott drifted off into a dreamless sleep.</p><p>* * *</p><p>He was roused by a knock on his door. At first Elliott thought that it was something else because it was so soft he barely heard it, he closed his eyes again to drift off back to sleep but was interrupted by another knock, this one a little bit louder. </p><p>“Ugh…” He groaned as he rolled over and shoved one of the memory foam pillows over his face, was it housekeeping? What time was it? Soon enough the knocking became more persistent and increased with volume with each passing minute. </p><p>“Alright! I’m coming, I’m coming.” Elliott grumbled as he slid off the bed and ran his hands through his unruly locks. If this was normal circumstances he would try to fix his hair to look somewhat decent, but right in this moment it was safe to say that Elliott Witt did not give a single fuck about how he looked. Shocker right? As he straggled out to the front door, he hesitated before he pulled the phone Ajay gave him out of his sweatpants pocket. The digital clock on the screen said it was 10:00PM. Who the hell was at his door at this hour?</p><p>Elliott slowed his pace to a crawl as he crept up to the peephole, but when he looked through it he didn’t see anyone right in front. At this point the knocking had ceased, but it was too late to run back to the bedroom. Elliott steeled his nerves before grabbing the handle and swung the door open. At first there wasn’t anyone directly in front of him, but finally a person stepped into view. </p><p>“Uh, hi there. Can I help you?” Elliott asked, puzzled by this person, they were new.</p><p>“Good evening, I am sorry to disturb you at this hour but I was informed by Dr. Che that a new resident was here. I just wanted to stop by and introduce myself.” A lightly accented voice greeted. </p><p>“Oh, well it’s okay. N-No big deal. Name’s Elliott and you are?” Elliott responded while trying to keep a shred of annoyance out of his voice. They did wake him up after all. The person shuffled in place, obviously feeling a bit awkward. ‘Huh, what a strange individual.’ he thought. </p><p>“They call me Blóðhundur, but you can call me Bloth.” They answered while making eye contact, and Elliott drank in their features. They were maybe an inch or two taller than himself, they held themselves with great posture with a catlike grace. Their pale skin was marred by strange scarring that stretched like cracks on ice up their neck, face, and hands. Elliott wondered if their whole body was scarred like that and what caused it. But besides the obvious imperfections Elliott noted that they had full lips, rounded jawline, and a button nose. They had fair auburn hair which was tied back in a braid and striking blue-green eyes. Their gender could not be determined on looks alone (not that gender mattered), they were stunningly androgynous.‘Well damn!’ Elliott thought as his eyes roved over them once again, but to make sure that he wasn’t giving off the vibe of A. Staring, which he totally was not. Or B. Looking like a grungy druggie, which he was but they didn’t need to know the details. </p><p>“Bloth huh? That’s an in-int-intur, weird name.” Elliott cringed at his bumble with his words. It was a slight speech impediment that people loved to fucking tease him about. It only came out when he felt angry, sad, shy, anxious, or excited. Bloth just stared at him intently, Elliott felt like a tiny field mouse under their gaze. </p><p>“Hm, I wouldn’t say it is ‘weird’. But that is alright, I just wanted to stop by to introduce myself. You and I will be spending a lot more time together. Ajay has assigned me to be your guide.” They stated. Elliott’s jaw dropped ever so slightly, they were the guide? </p><p>“Oh yeah, she mentioned that earlier. Um, but can I ask a question? Like, what is the purpose of me having a ‘guide’.” He asked while doing air quotes when he said the last word of his sentence. </p><p>“It is good for team building, but it is late. I should be on my way, have a good evening Elliott. I look forward to working with you.” Bloth said in that lilting accent before they gave a short salute and then walked away which left Elliott to call after them. </p><p>“Y-Yeah, nice to meet you too.”</p><p>Going back to bed wasn’t that easy after meeting Bloth.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yay! They've finally met!</p><p>I am not sure how often I will be updating this story, but I was so excited I wanted to post this one. I guess this is treat for you guys in quarantine. ;) </p><p>Also in case you are interested in the chapter name, it's a double entendre. Admission; meaning 1. To acknowledge the truth of something (AKA That Elliott realizes he needs help) and 2. The process or fact of entering or being allowed to enter a place, organization, or institution.  (Which is obvious because he has been admitted into a rehab center.)</p><p>Also the meaning of P.A.R.C (Psychiatric, Addition, and Rehabilitation Center) I did put the full title in the chapter, but in case some of you were still confused by that, there you go!</p><p>Have a wonderful day you guys. :)</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter Four: Honorable</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Elliott woke up from a restless sleep at 5AM, he normally didn’t mind getting up early but this time he was exhausted mentally, emotionally, and physically but not in a sleepy way. Just in the ‘I don’t want to do fucking anything’ way. Which sucked major ass, because Elliott was an outgoing individual so laying in bed and doing nothing was definitely not him, but so was getting hooked on meth. He rolled onto his stomach and lazily pulled out his phone, scrolling mindlessly through social media. There were a few gossip articles that started to circulate questioning where the TV Idol had disappeared to and he grimaced. Why couldn’t anything be private anymore? Was there such a thing as respect? </p><p>He had thought very similar things back when the scandal between him and Anthony broke out. Elliott wanted to crawl into a hole and hide there until no one would remember who he was anymore. The constant chatter and speculation was enough to drive a person insane, if he had known that this was the cost of fame and fortune maybe he would have stuck with performing as a side gig or go act on Broadway.</p><p>He had never felt this truly alone in a very long time, the first time that he felt this way was when he learned of the accident. That was the day when his childhood and innocence was stolen from him, when that monster took most of his family away due to their own selfish ways.</p><p> Elliott tried to stop his mind from going down that rabbit hole again, but there was nothing stopping it now. He felt his eyes prick with heat before the tears slowly trickled down his face. He didn’t want to feel like this, he didn’t want to be locked up in this stupid program for the next thirty days, and he sure didn’t want to spill his guts to a fucking therapist. What Elliott wanted most was for someone to just hold him and tell him it was going to be alright, just like his mother used to do when he was little. The fragile glass that encased his heart started to crack at the thought of her, she had changed so much since her diagnosis. Some days were good, but most were bad, she barely recognized Elliott when he would visit. Life had taken so much from them already, now it was taking her mind as well; Alzheimer’s was a bitch. He felt like the worst son in the world, putting his mom in a home and he hadn’t visited her since picking up his little habit, he doubted that she would remember him at this point. He didn’t look like himself, if anything she’d probably start screaming that a homeless druggie was in her room and if that happened he would lose himself.</p><p>As his mental state spiralled down into the depths of his depression, every single vulnerable thought was being fleshed out and brought to the surface of his consciousness for him to bear. There were so many things that he regretted in his life, so many promises that he had broken. He couldn’t even remember the last time that he had felt truly happy and at peace. Elliott felt like he was forever chasing the sun, and as soon as he thought he could touch the rays it would vanish over the fateful horizon and plunge him into darkness. The warmth never lasted, the scarce light that he relied on would be from the stars, the twinkling wishes that kept him going until he found a new dawn again. But now after so many cycles, he was lost. Was there nothing else for him in this life? Everything felt like a fucking joke since his twelfth birthday, the day that he lost his father and brothers. His happiness was snuffed out like a light he carried which hadn’t come back since.</p><p>He curled up on his side in a fetal position as he let the tears fall. No one could see him now anyway, all he wanted to do was cry and wallow in the numb obscurity. He hugged the pillow to his chest as he bit back a sob, he’d be better off dead than alive. His mother was well taken care of, he would make sure that she would receive the best care for the rest of her days. It’s not like she would remember who he was after all and he couldn’t bear to watch her forget everything. </p><p>He remained that way for most of the early morning, he didn’t realize that he fell back asleep until his alarm went off. Breaking through the crusty seal over his eyes that were the remnants of his tears and sleep, Elliott groggily shut off the offensive alarm. The clock next to the bed read 7AM and before he could contemplate curling back into a ball and going back to sleep the abandoned cell phone buzzed with a notification. </p><p>As Elliott read the message that was displayed he audibly groaned, it was a text message from Dr. Che, she was reminding him of his appointment with counseling was at 8AM and she wanted to let him know that he could choose between groups or one on one.</p><p>“Honestly neither would be perfect.” He grumbled as he got up and slowly made his way to the bathroom. He turned the water on and made sure it was nice and hot before he stepped under the running water. While it didn’t cure his ailments, it sure did feel comforting. After he let himself indulge in a thirty minute shower he managed to convince himself to stop wasting the water and get out. After he dried his body and he donned jogger pants, a white tank, and a light jacket. He caught a look at himself in the foggy mirror. Man, he looked… Rugged, put through the wringer, whatever you called it he looked just like that. </p><p>‘Fuck I really need to shave…’ He mused, but then remembering where he was and Elliott doubted that he would be allowed to shave alone in his apartment… Y’know the whole potential self-harm/suicide deal. He let out an exasperated sigh, this wasn’t a prison he was just here until he got better.</p><p>Not even ten minutes later Elliott grabbed his keycard, threw on his sneaks and left for his ‘therapy’. </p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>Elliott Witt sat slumped in an overly plush chair as he sat across from the therapist that he was assigned to. The guy’s name was Scott, middle aged, average build and height, he had greying fawn hair, and a really magnificent beard. After meager introductions the guy got right down to business and asked the run of the mill questions: What caused you to use? How long have you used? Did anything traumatic in your life happen? So on and so forth. Elliott gave short yes or no answers while keeping his arms crossed across his chest and his right knee bounced up and down, it was a bored or nervous tick he’s had since childhood which annoyed his whole family at some point. Old habits die hard. </p><p>After Scott felt him out for a bit he just went straight for the meat and potatoes, </p><p>“So what is the root of the problem for you?” </p><p>The question took Elliott aback, it was such a simple question but he had more to say and it would take a lot more than this hour appointment to really lay it all out for a therapist that probably wasn’t getting paid enough to listen to his sob story. </p><p>“Well, t-that’s a loaded question.” Elliott stuttered, while he rubbed the back of his neck. </p><p>“But I guess the short answer to that would be a lot of fucked up shit happened in my life that led up to this.” He shrugged before he folded his arms across his chest again. Scott gave a small nod and ran his fingers through his beard. Elliott started to feel quite claustrophobic in Scott’s tiny office, this treatment center was pretty big. Why couldn’t they have given this guy a bigger office? ‘I am definitely mentioning that to the higher ups after I leave this place.’ He thought while he squirmed ever so slightly in the chair that was trying to suck his ass into oblivion. </p><p>“I’m sorry to hear that Elliott, do you want to go into more detail?” Scott offered but Elliott shook his head, </p><p>“I-I’m sorry Scott, you seem like a nice guy. B-But this is some really personal stuff that I don’t think I’m ready to talk about… I know that this therapy is supposed to be the place to spill my deepest darkest secrets, but I don’t do that. I really have to trust someone to do that and we just met today!” Elliott explained in a rush, he really didn’t want to seem like a dick but he was not getting the vibe that Scott truly had his best interests in mind here. Anything that Elliott could tell him could be ‘leaked’ to the press, which he was pretty paranoid about as it was. The public did NOT need to know about all of his problems, he’d been betrayed by a confidential professional before. He wasn’t going to be as confident with this one just yet. </p><p>Scott sat back in his recliner and crossed one leg over the other as he gave Elliott a warm smile, </p><p>“That’s absolutely fine Elliott, I hope that we can build a trusting relationship with each other. But for now, do you want to be done with our session for today?” He said. Scott’s words were unexpected and it caught Elliott off guard. Well this was a first. </p><p>“Uh, sure man. Yeah, I’d like to be done for today.” He said quietly as Scott got up and opened the door to his office. </p><p>“It’s quite alright Elliott, if you ever feel the need to talk I am here for you. But our next session will be next week, and of course if you need to see me sooner that’s perfectly fine you can ask Dr. Che for my number. I hope you have a good day Mr. Witt.” Scott departed as Elliott walked out of the office and the door closed behind him. </p><p>A sigh of relief escaped the actor’s lips as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and made his way down the hallway. The therapy office floor was on the main campus right next to where Dr. Che practiced, it took a little while for Elliott to navigate back to the facility’s cafeteria. He wasn’t really hungry but he wanted to sit somewhere that wasn’t back in his room. Those empty walls only echoed the sadness and disgust he felt for himself. As Elliott took a seat next to a brightly lit window he sighed again as he stared at the world outside, it always seemed to go on without him. </p><p>“Góðan dag.” A voice greeted which made Elliott snap out of his pitiful reverie. He turned his attention to see Bloth standing in front of him holding a tray with what looked to be a parfait on it.</p><p>“May I sit here?” They continued as Elliott just stared at them, God damn in the daylight they looked even better than last night. He noticed a slight spray of freckles that were splayed across their nose and their plaited auburn hair looked afire in the sunlight,</p><p>“Elliott?” Bloth questioned as they tilted their head in concern at him, probably because he was just staring like a lovestruck doofus, wait lovestruck? More like dumbstruck.</p><p>“O-O-Oh yeah, s-sure thing.” Elliott said nervously while Bloth then took the seat across from them. Smooth.</p><p>“How are you this morning?” Bloth asked as they took the plastic lid off the top of their fruit parfait and continued to stick a spoon in it and stir the contents. Elliott hesitated unsure how to answer because on one hand he wanted to lie and say that he was fine but on the other he wanted to say he wasn’t all doing that great. He decided to go with the latter,</p><p>“Well, to be honest I’m not doing that great. But that’s to be expected right? I mean, if I was perfectly fine I wouldn’t be here…” He trailed off and opted to stare down at his hands which were clenched and much more interesting than looking Bloth right in the eyes. He didn’t want them to pity him, if anything he wished that he could just disappear and not have to tell anyone how he was feeling or what was going on in his messed up mind. </p><p>“Of course, but it’s more courageous and honorable to admit that you’re not okay than to lie.” Bloth replied before they scooped a spoonful of the yogurt goodness into their mouth. Their direct honesty took Elliott by surprise, but what shocked him the most is that Bloth just complimented him. At least he thought it was a compliment, they both sat in silence as Bloth continued to eat their parfait. </p><p>“Are you hungry?” They asked when they finished off the rest of the yogurt. Elliott just shrugged, </p><p>“Not really.” At this response Bloth tsked which surprised Elliott yet again,</p><p>“I understand that you are under quite a bit of stress, but you should not forget to eat. You need to take care of yourself in order to fully heal.” They advised gently as they gestured over to the food service counter. </p><p>“I appreciate the concern, but I’m just not hungry right now.” Elliott sighed while rubbing at his left eye, damn he was tired. Bloth simply nodded in understanding, </p><p>“Well, I will be taking my leave now; but you should get some rest Elliott you look tired.” They said before they pushed out their chair and stood up to leave.</p><p>“I’ll be by your suite at three this afternoon, we are going to start an activity then.” They said as they grabbed their tray and walked out of the cafeteria. Elliott stared at their back while they left, they were an interesting person to say the least. Soft spoken but eloquent with their words, something that Elliott was not. He wondered if they were going to get along alright and he also wanted to know what these ‘activities’ were. Probably not the same ones that Elliott was used to partaking in. </p><p>After sitting for a few more minutes in the warm sunlight, Elliott decided to take Bloth’s advice and got up to go get some more shut-eye before Bloth came to get him later that afternoon.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ah, poor Elliott. Will he eventually trust someone with his past? </p><p>Thank you for reading, I hope you all have a good rest of your weekend!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter Five: Trek</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Couldn't really think of a better chapter name except for this, sorry guys.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bloth was right on the dot when the clock turned from 2:59PM to 3:00PM, there was a soft knock on Elliott’s door. Luckily he had woken up from his nap an hour earlier so he was up and moving. This time it only took him a few seconds to open the door as he came face to face with Bloth. When Elliott met their gaze, he felt his heart flutter ever so slightly at the sight of them. He chalked it up to nerves as he gave them a half smile, </p><p>“Wow, you’re right on time.” He said as he leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed casually, one foot crossed over the other. Bloth just tilted their head at him, their expression was unreadable. </p><p>“Of course, I tend to be punctual about my timing.” They replied as they shouldered a backpack that Elliott just noticed. </p><p>“What’s with the bag?” He asked with an eyebrow raised, he secretly hoped that maybe Bloth was smuggling something good to him from Octavio. But that was extremely doubtful because it seemed like Bloth was a bit of a goody two-shoes. </p><p>“Oh yes, we are going off the premises for a few hours; I hope that is alright with you. I didn’t explain what we were doing this afternoon and for that I apologize.” They said as their cheeks gained a slight flush as they shifted their weight from one foot to the other. The act of bashfulness was quite endearing, Elliott thought that Bloth was going to be a bit of a snob but so far they just seemed kind of awkward. </p><p>“T-That’s fine! Honestly I’d like to get out of here for a bit.” He said before he realized that it sounded like he wanted to ‘get out’ of rehab. Which was not exactly the case… Sure he’d admit that he was really craving a hit but it wasn’t so bad that he was willing to risk getting high off site. </p><p>“Uh, not like ‘I don’t want to be here’ kind of way. Just, like, in the way that some fresh air would be good you know?” He added quickly and he definitely stumbled over his words with that bit. ‘Great now they really are gonna think I’m trying to get some product.’ he thought sourly. </p><p>“Excellent, I was planning to take you on a bit of a hike. Physical exercise is extremely beneficial at this point.” They deadpanned and Elliott bit the inside of his cheek, because that was just way to the point.</p><p>“Ah yeah… Sounds good. Do I, uh, have to bring anything?” He asked, desperate to steer the subject away from his drug abuse. </p><p>“I have packed us some light snacks and water for when we take a break. You should bring a light jacket because it may be a bit cool where we are going.” They said while Elliott turned to the coat rack near his door. Luckily he had brought a couple of jackets with him to the rehab center, so he grabbed his favorite yellow windbreaker and slipped it on, before he left the suite he checked to make sure that his sneakers were tied well and that he had the key card to the suite. Because he’d really hate to go to Dr. Che to get another keycard after being in her care for about twenty-four hours. </p><p>Once he checked his mental inventory that consisted of his phone, keycard, and wallet; Elliott stepped out and shut the door with a click. </p><p>“Alright, where to?” He asked as Bloth turned away and started to walk towards the exit. </p><p>“Well first we are going to sign you out at the check in/out and then we will go to my car and drive to our location.” They replied matter of factly as Elliott trailed behind them hands in his pockets. </p><p>Once Elliott signed the sign out sheet at the front desk, Bloth led him out to the parking lot and stopped in front of a nice looking Jeep Wrangler. They unlocked the car and got into the driver’s seat while Elliott got into the passenger’s side. They pushed the start button and the car turned on, Elliott listened to the hum of the idle engine for a second before Bloth put the car into drive and they pulled out of the parking lot. </p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p>The trip was made in mostly silence, the only time either one of them spoke was when Elliott had a question about where they were going or if they were lost, to which Bloth would respond with a simple answer. After a while Elliott settled on watching the scenery go by and tried not to get into his head too much. </p><p>After many twists and turns they pulled into a dirt parking lot that was mostly deserted save for the two other cars there. The sudden halt of the Jeep jolted Elliott out of his light slumer,</p><p>“Huh? Are we here?” He asked groggily as he rubbed his face, it had only been an hour drive but Elliott was notorious for falling asleep on any extended trips. It drove Anthony crazy…<br/>He cringed at the thought and quickly sat up as Bloth nodded and got out of the car, Elliott struggled with his seat buckle for a moment before he managed to get the damn thing to release and he stumbled out of the Wrangler after Bloth who was waiting for him. </p><p>“So, where are we?” Elliott questioned as he took in his surroundings. It looked like they were at a nature reserve of some sort. He hadn’t been to one since he was a teenager, he would meet up with friends and they would hike to a secluded location to drink and smoke marijuana. </p><p>“We are at Frontier Reserve, it is a very peaceful place to walk and spend quality time with oneself. I thought that getting you some fresh air would be a good change of pace and if you wanted to talk, I’ve been told that I’m a very good listener.” Bloth explained as the ends of their mouth turned upwards in a shy smile at their last remark. </p><p>“Let us go this way.” They stated as they shouldered their backpack and started on one of the various trails that were there. </p><p>“O-Okay, sure!” Elliott chirped as he jogged to keep up with the head start Bloth had on him. He was distracted by that smile, it was cute in a socially awkward way. It was obvious that Bloth didn’t talk to people much, so their social skills weren’t as good as some other people Elliott had met before. </p><p>“So... what do you do for a living?” Elliott asked when he caught up to Bloth, they were on a steady incline but it wasn’t too difficult yet. He wanted to get to know Bloth better, they seemed very mysterious but that was probably due to the fact that they didn’t talk much. But if they were going to be his guide, he might as well get to know them better even if with idle chatter.</p><p>“I work at a wildlife rehabilitation center a few days a week and the rest I work part time as a guide  at the Solace Rehab Facility.” They replied, not looking back once at Elliot while they spoke. He was disappointed that they didn’t elaborate on what they specifically did at their jobs as he was curious about the details, especially how they got involved with being a guide. They didn’t seem social enough for such a job. As the incline got steeper, Elliott didn’t ask anymore questions; he was too busy focusing on keeping up to Bloth and trying not to get winded. ‘Damn I’m out of shape.’ He thought as his breathing grew heavy, he hoped that Bloth wasn’t judging him for being out of shape. Normally this wouldn’t have been a challenge, but ever since Elliott became a hermit for a few months, well to say the least he lost a lot of stamina and muscle mass. </p><p>Right as he thought that he was going to collapse from exertion Bloth halted in front of a cluster of small boulders. </p><p>“We should rest here for a bit and cool off.” They said as they swung the backpack off their shoulders and sat with ease on one of the rocks. Bloth did not seem out of breath, heck they hadn’t broken a sweat! Suddenly becoming aware of his huffing Elliott took off the canary yellow windbreaker and laid it on top of a boulder a few feet away from Bloth, then he gracelessly sat down. He tried to ignore the small rivulets of sweat that ran down his brow as he focused on catching his breath. </p><p>After his breathing and heart rate returned to somewhat normal, Elliott didn’t even notice that Bloth was standing over him until he looked up. </p><p>“Jesus man! You’re so quiet, fuck! I gotta put a bell on you.” He screeched before he jumped up and scurried a few feet away. </p><p>“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I was just going to offer you some water because that was quite the incline.” They said with a light chuckle as they extended one of the plastic water bottles that they had brought along; a humorous light danced in their eyes.<br/>Elliott was flustered, he didn’t mean to snap at them but they did scare the shit out of him sneaking up on him like that and they had a cute as fuck laugh. Elliott shuffled forward hesitantly as he tried to ignore the blush that was rapidly developing on his cheeks, </p><p>“I-It’s a-all good man… I should be t-the one saying s-sorry.” He said while accepting the drink, as he uncapped it Elliott gave Bloth a sheepish grin, </p><p>“Uh… Please don’t tell anyone about that…” </p><p>Bloth raised an eyebrow at his remark, </p><p>“Oh? I wouldn’t dream of it.” They replied while their lips twisted up into a smirk before they turned away to dig in their pack for another water bottle. This left Elliott with a racing heart and flushed face all over again; and this time it wasn't due to the physical exercise.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for making this chapter so short! It was originally super long so I split it into two separate chapters. I hope you guys enjoy this I decided to slip a little bit of flirting in this one ;) Have a good weekend! :D</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I appreciate any comments and don't be afraid to give me pointers or criticism ( as long as it's respectful, if you don't have anything nice to say don't say it! ) I would love to improve my writing. I don't know what the schedule for this fic will be yet unfortunately, but I will try my best to not time go on without updates and I am guilty of doing it... </p><p>If you want to keep up with what I'm doing for progress or for fun you can follow my twitter @euriditia and don't be afraid if you want to talk with me! I love chatting with people. </p><p>Thanks for the read! :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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